The Sharing Economy: A Systematic Literature Review and Research Agenda

Abstract

The sharing economy has emerged as a transformative model in the digital age. However, existing reviews often focus on isolated aspects and provide limited insights into its complexity. This paper comprehensively reviews 92 studies through a dual-framework approach, employing both the Antecedents–Decisions–Outcomes (ADO) and the Theories–Contexts–Methods (TCM) frameworks. The ADO framework reveals key factors influencing user decisions—including adoption, usage, booking, continued use, engagement, participation, purchase, and switching—that are shaped by economic, social, technological, trust-related, environmental, and political antecedents. Meanwhile, the TCM framework structures an in-depth examination of dominant theories (e.g., Technology Acceptance Model, Social Exchange Theory), diverse contexts (e.g., studies in China, the US), and methods (e.g., quantitative and qualitative) prevalent in the literature. Key findings emphasize the importance of regulatory dynamics and market shifts on user engagement and platform sustainability. Practical implications offer actionable guidance for platform managers to enhance user retention and to align strategies with evolving regulatory and market environments. The review also identifies future research directions to expand our understanding of global trends and challenges within the sharing economy.